CHANDIGARH: Within the 24 hours of the declaration of Khalistan by the Panthic Committee from the Golden Temple Complex Amritsar. Commandos of National Security Guard and Special Security Force raided the Golden Temple Complex around 4:30 p.m. on April 30- 1986. In two days long action Security Forces searched almost all the rooms and all the comers in the Golden Temple Complex and arrested more than 300 devotees engaged in the Kar Sewa of the Akal Takht The Jathedar of Akal Takht Bhai Gurdev Singh and Jathedar of the United Akali Dal Mr. Surat Singh were among those who were rounded up. The main operation took place against All India Sikh Student Federation and Damdami Taksal. It was started by the Commandos and the Security Forces when they entered the Parkarma around 10:30 p.m. Six hundred Commandos who were air lifted to AMRITSAR the same morning went inside the Parkarma with their high-neck shoes. The acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, Bhai Gurdev Singh and his twenty four supports were reportedly staying in a room in the Parkarma. There was a complete black-out in the Golden Temple Complex.

The Commandos who were carrying machine-guns continued the firing throughout the night. The Commandos threw 200 stunt-bombs and hand-grenades throughout the Complex. The Parkarma has been extremely damaged by the bombs and the firing. More than half-dozen Taksal and A.I.S.S.F. workers who tried to prevent the Commandos to enter the Golden Temple Complex were killed and few others were injured. Morning religious rites and As a Di War could not be performed on the morning of May 1st as the firing from the Commandos Was still going on. The last batch led by Jethedar of Akal Takht that had taken refuge inside the Golden Temple was captured around 6:30 in the morning on May 1st. The floors of the Darshani Deodhi were full of blood stains because the two young men in their effort to stop the Commandos were killed or injured at this place. Most of the devotees who had come to Darbar Sahib on the eve of Parkash Utsav of Guru Arjun Dev Ji could not leave the Complex as the curfew was clamped immediately before the starting of the operation on April 30, 1986.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 10, 1991